Five Nights
by Mari750
Summary: He'd never, ever, been a player, old-fashioned and romantic as he'd always been - it did take him a long while to get used to it. It seemed this was how things would work with her – despite the shame and the loneliness, despite the feeling in his gut he was doing something wrong, but so long as she kept coming back to him with that lust in her pretty eyes, he'd do it. WARNING: OOC
1. Five nights

The first day was awkward.

A shrill sound invaded her deep slumber and pulled her back to reality.

Reality was she was not home, but rather tangled in a mess of sheets that were not her own. She stretched out her arm and felt around the floor for her purse, and upon finding it, turning off the damned noise.

The brunette took a deep breath and laid back again, waiting for her head to stop throbbing so mercilessly. She'd had quite a few drinks the previous night. Whether it had been premeditated or an immediate effect of her drinking, she knew she'd regret it later. And later was now.

Looking at her side to make sure he was still asleep, Jo carefully pushed his arm away, hearing his heavy breathing change slightly and then watched him turn to the other side of bed.

She got up, quickly gathered her scattered clothes and left Henry's bedroom.

As she left as quickly as she could manage, her mind wondered back to the events of the previous night – how she had wanted to get him drunk, because somehow the thought of going back with him and into his bed didn't seem so bad, not bad at all. She didn't know when she'd become so indifferent regarding his feelings and her own, but some shots of tequila would make her regrets go away.

Even then, as she hailed a taxi home for a shower and fresh clothes, she still didn't regret it at all.

The second time it happened, you could say he was the one who seduced her.

Maybe seducing is not quite the word, because she was more than willing to let him lead her, but it was him who had whispered something in her ear and ran his fingers tantalizingly over her bare shoulder and down her arm, smiling at the bristling skin underneath. It was him who breathed hot air on her neck and tangled his fingers in her damp hair, pressing her between the wall and his aroused body. It was his name being whispered in the quiet night, when he took her breath away and made the stars feel tangible. It was him who fell spent on her chest, breathing heavily as she caressed his back and kissed his forehead.

It was him who breathed heavily in his slumber as she quietly left his bed.

And it was him who sleepily called her and reached over for her hand before she had the chance to get up, after night number five.

Nights three and four had had less and less alcohol as an excuse, and she'd learned he was a heavy sleeper.

On night five she'd asked to go home to shower and change before they headed to the bar, to which Henry quickly acquiesced but faltered as soon as he saw the dress she'd slipped into, hair still wet dripping over her shoulders and into her cleavage. She eyed him intently, leaning against the door frame.

Leaving hadn't been her plan at all.

In the morning, she sat at the edge of the bed, feeling her little plan had backfired on her. She was in her own home, where could she flee to?

Before she could form an answer, she heard the ruffling of sheets behind her and a warm hand grabbing her wrist.

"Jo," he spoke hoarsely, making her close her eyes instinctively as a chill ran up her body, remembering that same voice in her ears throughout those five distinct nights. "Stay."

"I, um", she quickly spoke, opening her eyes but not daring to look at him. "I gotta get to work soon."

His grip loosened and he boldly took her hand in his, running his thumb over the back of her hand caressingly.

"I know you're scared. I am too. But you don't have to be afraid of me. Stay for a bit longer."

She looked back at him and her eyes met pleading ones. She hadn't regret any of the previous nights, but now it was cutting through her heart. So she stayed.

She leaned back down and watched him intently as he propped himself on his elbow, and when his hand brushed her hair away from her face, and when he looked at her eyes, and her face, and her mouth, and her neck, and everything else that was hidden by the covers.

She swallowed hard, slightly uncomfortable for being under his scrutiny but entirely under his spell.

She let her eyes flutter closed when she moved her body closer to his and felt him shift on the bed to be on top of her. She felt her blush deepen as she knew he could see her clearly now, without the haze of alcohol and the darkness of night. She felt his soft lips on hers and gladly kissed him back, one hand coming up to the back of his head while the other gently pulled his body against hers.

When their lips parted she let out a sigh and looked into his eyes.

"Henry.", she whispered.

She didn't let herself think about what she had seen in those dark eyes. Her own eyes closed when his lips whispered on her neck between kisses – _amazing_ was the word he'd used to describe her.

His touch was soft, almost adoring, and she felt the familiar butterflies in their mad flight as he kissed her body.

Would she ever admit she was in love with this guy?


	2. Of stark secrets, and a tiny one

Would she ever admit she was in love with this guy?

And would he?

He'd never, ever, been a player, old-fashioned and romantic as he'd always been - it did take him a long while to get used to it. It seemed this was how things would work with her – despite the shame and the loneliness, despite the feeling in his gut he was doing something wrong and the heartbreak. Pretending nothing was going on at work was easy, being used to putting on a mask as he was. Pretending not to smell her scent when she was beside him and falling for her crooked smile and the way she brushed hair away from her face. Pretending he wasn't thinking of her body because that wasn't the most gentlemanly thing to do.

Well, he was no longer a gentleman, but a player, if that's what she wanted him to be. So long as she kept coming back to him with that lust in her pretty eyes. So long as he could touch and taste and hear her… he'd do it.

"Henry?" she asked, pointing to a dead body. He snapped out of his reverie and knelt down, blushing fiercely as he began his observations on the case, missing entirely on the little sly smile she tried to hide.

* * *

><p>A quick glance at the alarm clock told her it was barely four, and she sighed heavily, praying the knocking would go away.<p>

It repeated itself after a few long seconds, and she grudgingly got up.

Door open, her eyes flinched at the light barging into her nerves and shaking her mind awake. She looked at Henry on her doorstep, wrapped in warm layers of clothing and burgundy scarf up to his chin. Small flakes of ice on his hair, looking as adorable as ever for a man who was at her doorstep at not even four a.m.

"What the hell are you doing here?", she grumbled and stepped aside to let him in.

"I was in the neighborhood.", he quickly answered with a crooked smile.

She thought it would have been cute had it not been so early, and _nothing_ was cute so early. Specially with how, recently, she had been so sick as soon as she woke up.

She paced quietly back to her room and sat on the edge of the bed, and he did the same.

He kissed her cheek and touched her barely-noticeable protruding stomach, running his hand over it sweetly.

"I'm sorry, I know it's late, or early, but I needed to see you. I just… I couldn't sleep, and I kept thinking of all these things I needed to tell you."

She nodded and put her hand on his. Quietly, she pleaded. "Tell me."

He sighed. For good five to eight minutes, he did not say a thing, lost in his thoughts.

Six months.  
>It had been that long since that first night.<p>

In those six months a lot had happened. The drunken nights, the nights that involved no alcohol, the nights spent awake at home, worrying over what to do next and how long they could go on doing this.  
>The day she had fainted at work, and wouldn't tell him what the doctor had said.<br>The morning she came into the shop and told him over his spilled coffee that she was carrying his child, and the complete fear mixed with delight and elation and mirth of fathering her baby. Jo's, of all people, the most incredible woman he'd met in the past fifty years. The strong, and incredibly sweet, and caring, and _wild_ woman turning his life upside down.

For the past six months since then he had barely gotten any sleep. All those thoughts of his secret and shame, and love, and fear, and immortality chasing his sleep away every other night, until he could no longer bear it.

He had to tell her.

Face whatever reaction she'd have. Face his fear of rejection and loneliness.

"I… have been keeping a secret from you.", he spoke quietly.

She kept quiet and did her best to tame the wilderness in her chest.

"Not… because I don't trust you. I trust you. I was just… afraid of your reaction."

A million thoughts rushed through her mind and yet she kept it together.

And so, slowly, he opened up about his secret, about what had happened aboard that ship, and about the water, and the War, and not aging, and his elderly son, and ultimately, about his fear of passing it onto their child. It was his curse, and he wouldn't want it for anybody else. He feared it every day, and it was in such constant clash with the joy of seeing her beside him like that, it haunted him so much that he could barely keep it together in front of her. He was so afraid of what could happen to her if others knew about their relationship. He was so afraid of losing her when she found out.

And all this time, she was tormenting herself thinking he'd lost interest in her, or was never interested in the first place. The Henry she thought she knew was not the Henry she saw on her bed, and it scared her too, because, how much did she really know about him? Were all those corky manners just to conquer her and toy with her feelings? She never really thought they were, and she really thought he was genuine, but there were so many times when she'd doubted him.

Admittedly, she was the one to start this whole mess, and if he only got so far was because she let him and indulged herself in his attentions. If they were here now, at such ungodly hours discussing their messed-up relationship and a baby due in four months, could she really blame him?

She could, and she did.

Because he'd always been secretive, she had always known something was up, and although this was not exactly a crime, was it fair to keep her in the dark, given her current state?

Was it fair, to keep it all from her from that very moment she looked into his eyes and told him she was pregnant, and he barely reacted, and he barely said anything besides "Are you sure, about me?" and she clearly remembers she had gotten stark mad, yelling, asking if that was what he made of her? If he was asking her if she had been sleeping around enough to not know it was his child? Because what the hell was he asking? Why wouldn't he answer? Why wouldn't he defend himself or say she was wrong, or… or… do _anything_ she had expected him to do? She was no giddy young girl seeing the world for the first time and believing in true love, but she did believe him. She had faith he was worth her while.

Was that fair? That she had to wipe angry tears as she stormed out, full of regret and hate and feeling so alone? Why couldn't he just talk to her then, and instead of drifting away for weeks on end, why didn't he hug her? And tell her it would be alright, and he would be there, and he wouldn't leave her to deal with it on her own? Why did he just let her walk away with a heart so full of despair?

She sniffed and wiped away her tears.

"I'm so angry at you.", she said quietly. "I'm so, so angry at you, Henry."


	3. On a cold night

She sniffed and wiped away her tears.  
>"I'm so angry at you.", she said quietly. "I'm so, so angry at you, Henry."<p>

* * *

><p>If only he knew how much she'd needed him in the past few months, and how hard it had been to ignore him at work.<p>

If only she knew it how anguished he had been, and how fearful, and regretful, and just how he just wanted to be with her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before, Jo, I really am. But, you see, you have to understand… please, please try to understand. I know I haven't been there for you as much as I wanted to or as much as you've needed me to. I am so sorry. But I've been fighting my demons for months, I've been slaying my own dragons, and I swear… I want to be with you, and support you, and and and-… and love you, and love our baby. But I was so afraid of losing you. I still am. Please, Jo, don't shut me out again."

"I don't get it! So you don't die. Ok. Let's say I believe you, what's the big deal? Am I missing the point here? Why the hell would you lose me over that, Henry? What could possibly have happened that you'd shut _me_ out when I needed you the most?", she hissed and sobbed.

Henry spoke quietly as he turned to face her and looked her in the eyes. "I've been locked up several times. I've had people experimenting on me. I've had my body opened alive to be studied. I've had to run away more often than I can promptly tell you. If you think you have trust issues, Jo, you have no idea of what the past two hundred years have been like for me. I've buried every friend I'd ever had. I've loved and I've been betrayed, a lot.", he said, stressing the last few words, and paused.

She winced slightly, heart truly condolent and mind scattered about.

"But I chose to trust you with everything I've got. I've… I've been… _trying_ to keep to myself and not invade your personal space too much, but damn it, Jo, you gotta know there's only so much I can do. I can't be that jackass anymore. I swear I'm not a jackass. I want to buy you flowers and take you on picnics, as tacky and stupid as that may sound, and hug you in public places and hold your hand instead of pretending nothing's going on. I just have so much I want to give you, sweetheart…" he paused and cupped her face, chasing away those tears with his soft lips.

She closed her eyes and let him, her hiccups and sobs slowly subsiding to a softer tone.

When he spoke again, it was a mere whisper. Pleading.  
>"Please. Give me a chance. We can make it."<p>

Jo opened her eyes and faced him, a tint of sadness but so much affection clear in her eyes.  
>She didn't know what to say, they seemed so fragile and broken recently that she just didn't know what to say. Henry's declaration filled her heart with so much love and hope for their future, it woke those butterflies for good, and set them on a sugar rush.<p>

Jo nodded and moved in to kiss him, capturing his lips in a chaste and loving kiss. Her arms embraced his shoulder and held him close. Soon her body was moving on its own and her legs were straddling his. The proximity of their bodies made him shiver and his arms snaked around her waist, pulling her even closer

This was the Henry she knew – the caring and romantic guy she had pictured before it all went crazy. This was her best friend and confidant, and the man she had fallen in love with.

She pulled away slightly, looking into those sparkling eyes and couldn't help but kiss him time and again, smiling into the kiss. "I love it when you call me that."

"When I call you what?", he looked at her puzzled, and then understood, and then smiled, and then grinned. "Sweetheart?" Jo nodded bashfully and nestled her face in his neck.

Henry laughed softly and stroked her hair. "Love, darling, sweetheart… you'll hear those a lot."

Jo smiled and whispered softly against his warm skin.  
>"I love you, Henry. I missed you."<p>

Henry tightened his grip and neither said anything for a long time, merely basking in the quiet and precious moment until Jo felt sleepy again.

"Can you stay?"

Henry laughed lightly. "Only if you don't run away the minute I fall asleep."

Though he couldn't see it, her cheeks reddened and she smiled apologetically, shaking her head. "I won't."

Obviously she wouldn't let him leave at nearly 5a.m., but he knew what she had meant. It was Saturday, and even though they still had to go in to fill out paperwork, neither had to be there early. Some restful sleep would be much appreciated, as they hadn't been sleeping well in a long time.

Jo stood and helped Henry up. She tugged the heavy covers away and then onto her body, lying on her side waiting for him. Soon she felt the weight on her bed and his arm embraced her, gently stroking her belly and lips showering loving kisses on the nape of her neck.

She mind felt light and foggy, but she couldn't help thinking of how lucky a girl she was. She had to be honest, even though both had kept each other at an emotional distance in the past few months, he did find ways to care for her.

Like that Thursday when she was called into Reece's office the moment she stepped into the bullpen. Upon seeing Henry in there, staring awkwardly at the floor, she thought they were in deep trouble somehow.

* * *

><p><em>"Martinez. Your friend here has made me a strange request.", said Reece sternly.<em>

_Jo's eyebrows went up in surprise and she looked at Henry, who kept his gaze on the floor._

_"__Oh? And what is that?"_

_"__He has requested that I transfer you to another department, because he is concerned about your health." She paused and studied both of them. If anything, she was dead curious._

_Jo scoffed and looked at Henry. Unbelievable._

_"__I am aware you've had plenty of health issues in the past month. Should I be concerned?"_

_She hesitated.__  
><em>_"No, Sir."_

_"__Should I move you?"_

_"__Actually, um, that… would be appreciated, yes."_

_"__Detective, may I ask why?"_

_Jo shifted uncomfortably where she stood, not daring to look her in the eye. She smiled through gritted teeth, as a child who's done something naughty. "I am pregnant. I believe that would be reasonable."_

_Words could not describe the look on the lieutenant's face, and the way she looked back and forth between them. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts and not think too hard on those two together. Well, too late._

_Henry was quite amused and Jo would have laughed herself silly were she not stark mad at her partner._

_Reece cleared her throat. "Very well. You may clean your desk and wait, I will see what I can do.", and dismissed them. Behind the closed door, Reece shook her head and allowed herself to smile._

_"__Are you kidding, Henry!? Seriously, was this necessary?", Jo hissed as they walked away._

_He shrugged. "You might be angry now, Jo, but you won't see me mourning you should something happen. You can't risk yourself anymore. Not… that it was fine before… I mean.", he stuttered, and added proudly, "I have no regrets."_

_She scoffed and walked off pissed – he was right, she knew it, but she was going to deal with it, she had been psyching herself up to talk to her superior. Surely it could take a while, but she could fend for herself!_

* * *

><p>There had also been that lazy day off when she had a humongous parcel delivered at her place. She thought it was dearly sweet how Abe had taken the time to wrap and deliver the antique stroller at her doorstep. She thought she'd never see one of these in her life, because it was so old and obsolete she'd only seen it in cartoons as a a kid! But it was beautiful - a true work of art - and now there it was, waiting on the corner of the living room with a card still attached to it. It had been quite a special gift, but thinking back, was it really a gift from Abraham?<p>

"He is your son." She stated quietly, mind still awake. "Abe."

"Yes.", was the quiet and sleepy reply.

"Was that his stroller?"

Henry smiled. "It was."

"Was that a present from him or from you?"

A pause.  
>"From the both of us."<p>

"So he knows."

"Yes. He is delighted."

Jo smiled and snuggled back into his embrace.

"Good night, Henry."

"Good night, love."


	4. First of Forever

Morning came much too fast, but sweetly. Henry woke very very slowly, the remainders of a pleasant dream mingling with reality and pleasantly confusing him.

He opened his eyes slowly and was greeted by the tender sight of his beloved sleeping peacefully in front of him, facing him, right hand under the pillow while her left hand rested on his arm. It was heart-warming, and Henry couldn't resist putting his arm around her tenderly, lips resting on her forehead.

Jo woke up soon, having been stirred awake by feather-like kisses on her face. She smiled and hugged him, lazily moaning what she meant to be a 'good morning'.

Henry smiled. "Hey, you."

Jo pulled away in order to properly look at him. "Hey", was the hoarse reply.

"I believe this is the first time we wake up properly together."

Jo smiled widely. "First of forever."

Henry nodded, "First of forever."

* * *

><p>After a hearty breakfast they left for the car, putting up with Saturday morning traffic for nearly an hour. It was a lucky day, in fact.<p>

Jo turned off the engine and looked at her lover before leaving the car. The poor guy seemed to be freezing and she smiled sympathetically.

Henry left the car first and made sure to help her out. She smiled widely – chivalresque as ever.

Henry took a moment to bask in her beautiful smile, like she had just lit a hundred suns. He removed his gloves and placed them in his pocket, then rubbed his hands together and blowed them, in hopes of warming them up.

With warmer hands, he cupped her cheeks and made sure to tell her how utterly precious and lovely she was, and how he'd been a fool not to notice this before, and how he was looking forward to their days together. She smiled that precious smile of hers, that could melt a glacier, and allowed that dangling tear to drop. She was truly walking on air.

She took off her own gloves and held his face, gently caressing the skin under his eyes. Then she brought his face to hers and gave him a loving kiss before breaking away and urging him to the precinct.

"Have a good day, Dr. Morgan."

"Right back at you, Martinez. Hopefully you won't be so bored."

She grunted. "Ugh, I can't even begin to tell you how boring my new job is. And you'd think filing taxes would be exciting, right? Not the case. Most of the time I just find myself mentally complaining about feeling sick all morning and sleepy and then thinking of you and great sex. My goodness, we oughta do something about this hormonal rush, it's been driving me nuts!"

Henry laughed and blushed, mildly shocked at her blunt statement. This was a side of Jo's he didn't know existed, but he was loving it.  
>"We'll definitely do something about that later. As a matter of fact, I'll take the matter into my own hands.", he joked and wiggled his eyebrows.<p>

She stared back at him wide-eyed and laughed. She didn't know he had it in him!  
>"I'm loving the sound of that!", she teased and laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Just when I think I got you sorted out…"<p>

* * *

><p>Things did start looking up for them. Having been transferred to a different department, Jo had a more stable routine, left earlier on most days and occasionally had the chance to visit her partner at the morgue. It had nothing to do with her new job, but she missed her previous routine as well. Her visits to the morgue had led to some very interesting and entertaining reactions from Henry and Lucas.<p>

The first day she went there, it was only a few days after she had been transferred, and she thought she'd reciprocate the gift she had received from Henry and Abe.

* * *

><p><em>Henry had left to assist Hanson on a case, much much much to the latter's annoyance. Lucas was busying himself with a body and did his usual act of trying to interact with the lady, getting put off and mumbling something awkward before going back to his work.<em>

_Jo dropped by his office and left a small white box adorned with a silvery bow on top of it. Without so much as a word, she left._

_Lucas was left there at the top of his curiosity, debating whether it would be safe to take a quick glance at it before the man arrived. You know, just to… make sure it wasn't anything hazardous and… stuff._

_Later Jo heard how Lucas had pestered Henry about it. First he said she had stopped by. Then, when Henry picked up the square little box, he told him Detective Martinez, or rather, the_former_Detective, had left it there. But he never touched. Nope, never. Didn't know what was inside it. Could've been something dangerous. Or, or, or, nice. He didn't know because he hadn't touched it._

_Henry grinned. To his own amusement and much to Lucas' utter displeasure, the two-centuries-younger man never did see what was in the box. Henry's victim he was. It didn't make it any easier for Lucas when Henry stared, deeply touched, at its content, and sat down in a daze, dreamy smile on his face._

_It was killing Lucas._

_When he met Jo later that day, he hugged her for a long while._

_Jo smiled. "Did you like your present?"_

_Henry let go of her and pulled a card from his pocket, that same beautiful, dreamy smile adorning his face. "Yes", he whispered, and quickly rubbed his hands at the corners of his eyes._

_Jo smiled too, swallowing the lump in her throat as she watched Henry run his fingers delicately across the image on the card. It was an ultrasound printout – the first picture ever of their child – cut out and neatly glued to a white piece of hard paper that had their initials and something resembling a heart._

_Jo cleared her throat and softly explained she couldn't draw hearts properly and started rambling and it just didn't matter, because with every passing second she just grew more and more adorable in his eyes. He hugged her tightly._

* * *

><p>She had finished unpacking the very rest of her belongings when she realized Henry had barely had anything to eat before leaving for work, for he had overslept after spending good deal of the previous night helping the nearly-seven-month pregnant Jo get settled in their new apartment. Among other things, <em>naturally<em>.

Jo smiled fondly and cherished the memory.

* * *

><p><em>Henry and Lucas were already working on their latest case when Lucas looked up to find a much chubbier Jo in the room.<em>

_"__Oh, hi! Hi, m-morning… Detect… Jo. M-Martinez. Morning, Martinez.", he stuttered and then simply gave up on the embarrassing interaction, turning back to the body and feigning interest in his work as he eyed the two of them from the corner of his eyes._

_At some point he had his back turned to them and heard an unusual noise. He hasn't quick enough to turn and see it, but, lest his mind was playing evil and quite interesting tricks on him, he was sure they had kissed before she left, heels clicking confidently across the floor._

_To say he was shocked or puzzled is quite the understatement. Henry went back to working on the autopsy, but Lucas just stood there, glancing at the hall through which Jo had disappeared, and back at Henry. Something was definitely going on._

_He tried to sound nonchalant, but only managed to be his weird usual self. "Funny, huh, haven't seen her in a while. She seems to have gained some pounds. Christmas and New Year's must've been fun." He tried, looking at Henry with a silly smile on his face, to which Henry reciprocated with a glare. His smile quickly faded and he began babbling. "Which is completely fine, haha, I mean, what are holidays for, right? I ate quite a bit myself, but I was blessed by my genes and I never ever gain weight, which is actually a problem, you know? Cause my doctor tells me I'm underweight_every time_and I just gave up ever going back there, because seriously, who-"_

_Henry shook his head and interrupted his ranting. "She's expecting a baby."_

_Lucas deadpanned.__  
><em>_"Oh. Ok."_

_Lucas tried to get back to work immediately but the atmosphere was so dense one could probably cut a knife through it._

_Henry sighed. "Ask, Lucas."_

_Lucas sighed thankfully. "I, uh, I heard you moved. Recently."_

_Henry raised his eyebrows. News traveled so fast in this place he was surprised Lucas hadn't figured out Jo's situation sooner. "I did."_

_"__Did, uhh… Did Jo move too?", he asked temptingly._

_Henry had to smile. Lucas had never been this subtle. "She did. Is that what you wanted to know?"_

_Lucas smiled. "Yes. Thank you."_

_Henry nodded and resumed the work. He knew the younger man had connected the dots and was quite grateful for getting a straight answer from him, for a change._

_"__Congratulations, Henry.", Lucas said softly, not tearing his eye from the victim's neck._

_Henry smiled. "Thank you, Lucas."_


	5. A sinful taste of Heaven

He didn't know when exactly he'd fallen for her, but in the five years they'd been working together, there were days they'd spend time together outside work and he would find himself wishing she'd stick around longer, if only out of solitude.

Sometimes he'd accompany her to a bar, other times, much too rare for Lucas' liking, they'd go out with the rest of the 'gang', as his assistant called the odd group of colleagues.

Every now and then she would come over for dinner, to Henry's slight despair and Abe's delight, after a good deal of bargaining from his elder son.

The occasions increased in frequency to the point he no longer thought it was a big deal when she'd invite him out for drinks, or when she'd linger around longer after dinner and they wound up talking until the wee hours of Saturday mornings. They had become good, reliable friends to each other and though Henry could not deny he'd entertained fantasies of her more often than he'd wished and would care to admit, he hadn't given it much thought until that warm May evening at the bar they usually attended after work, just around the corner from the shop. He had had a few drinks but not enough to ignore her clear intentions. Oh, he wanted her. And she made it clear she meant to take him home that night. He thought of every reason not to go along, but they all disappeared when, in the blink of an eye, he felt her hands on his hips and her eyes boring into his.

He felt uneasy and she seemed amused, but there was something else in her eyes. She was so close he could feel her warm breath on his lips, and he instinctively closed his eyes when she leaned in and kissed him. He felt his breath hitch and something else move in his body when her tongue languidly traced his lips and her whole body pressed against his and pushed him back against the brick wall.

He felt the chills up his body and shuddered when her hands ventured under his shirt and touched him, digging her nails into his skin. He moaned louder than he'd realized, and pushed her away slightly in order to catch his breath.

"Jo…", he'd tried.

"Henry, don't.", she muttered under her breath, going for his neck, voice dripping with desire. Another chill traveled through his body and he could only gasp for air as she left him a wobbly mess.

She pulled away, smiling at her prey.  
>"Aren't you going to invite me in, Henry?"<p>

He nodded, suddenly a bit too self-conscious for his own sake. Thankfully it was a little over 2am and there weren't many people around to watch their little show.

He looped his arm around her and tried to get his faltering legs to carry him the short distance to the door, shaky hands fishing out the keys to the back door. Abe had better be asleep, was one of his last thoughts before he lost himself completely.

* * *

><p>The morning after was awkward.<p>

A shrill sound bothered his deep slumber and did his best to ignore it.  
>He'd been having quite a dream and all he wanted was for that damned noise to stop. Eventually it did, and his tired soul was somewhere between slightly awake and still dreaming of her body writhing beneath his. Everything felt part of the same crazy dream he grasped onto desperately.<p>

So when he felt his heavy arm falling lumpily on the bed and weight lifting from the mattress, he couldn't quite understand what was going on, and urged his mind to wake but not quick enough to entirely grasp the situation.  
>It was only until he heard the front door of the shop close with the consistent ringing of a bell that he started to realize just what had happened.<p>

Henry sighed.

For the rest of the week he did his best to hide the latent desire for his partner and friend, the longing for her body, and the hurt. He took it from her behavior that she'd put the events of the night on the account of a mistake she wanted dismissed. He understood it perfectly, but not even that could stop the feeling of having been played with.  
>In the week that followed he caught himself paying increasing attention to every little thing she did, from the way she swayed her hips and clicked her heels as she moved, and he could swear she was doing that on purpose. And how she sometimes cracked a joke and looked at him out of habit, quickly averting her gaze and licking her lips nervously as she caught him staring back at her. Even doing that she was lovely.<p>

The days dragged slowly like that, until he mustered that courage inside him somewhere, and tried to talk to her about what had happened.  
>"We need to talk."<p>

She nodded, pressing her lips together. She cast her eyes on the ground and shifted her tone to a softer one. "Over a drink, alright?"

A drink quickly turned into several and nothing truly was discussed.  
>He was, then, sure there was no turning back – she had him wrapped around her pretty little fingers, and for the most part of it, he didn't mind it at all.<p> 


	6. A sunlit morning

WARNING: This chapter is extra sappy and stands on its own. If it's not your thing, you may skip it. For those of you who do read it, hope you enjoy it and decide to comment! Sorry it's short.

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><p>It was the first sunlit morning after a series of gloomy and snowy February days. The sky was cloudless and people seemed happier for a change, lured out of their warm homes by the change in weather and busily strolled down the increasingly crowded streets of New York.<p>

Henry briefly looked out the window and smiled. The whole world seemed happier today.

He shifted his sitting position by Jo's side to watch her. She had always been a beautiful and attractive woman, but in recent days his admiration and love for her only grew. Her long hair was tied into a messy ponytail and while she didn't look as neat as she usually did, she had never been so pretty in his eyes.

Despite the past exhaustive hours and the growing anxiety, she had a bright smile on her lips as she looked back at him. Her eyes had a different sparkle to them, and she was just radiant. "Anytime now.", she said excitedly.

He smiled sweetly and was about to say something, when the sound of the door interrupted their musings and they looked in the direction of the sound, hands searching and finding each other on their own accord.

"Here she is!", cooed the nurse as she walked into the room with the tiny Allison in her arms, wrapped in a soft and warm lavender blanket. "Say hello to mommy and daddy, little miss Allison Martinez-Morgan!"

"Morgan-Martinez.", corrected the overwhelmed parents proudly, preparing themselves to welcome their daughter.

The young nurse smiled cutely and apologetically shrugged her shoulders, mouthing a 'Sorry!'.

The newborn was placed in Jo's arms and they barely registered the nurse's departure or anything else but her.

The baby's soft little head had plenty of short, dark brown hair, and her little swollen eyes were shut. She did seem to try to open and peek at for the first time but it felt like too much of an effort for such tiny amount of energy, so she just gave up with a soft noise and resumed her nap.

"Aw, look at you! You're so pretty...", Jo whispered with a shaky voice as she held the baby closer. "The prettiest girl in the world."

Henry put his arm Jo's shoulder and kissed the top of her head, mesmerized. He barely blinked, taking in all the small and captivating details - the tiny, diminute fingers and their paper-thin nails, the slender arms and miniscule shoulders. Everything about her was so captivating and sweet that he couldn't help falling in love over and over. He felt the emotion sting his eyes and allowed himself to shed those tears, hand coming up to softly wipe at his fiancée's cheeks.

Jo looked at him and her smile only grew. Her hand came up to touch his face, eyes boring into his and tears falling freely only to be captured by his touch.

"I love you.", she whispered.

Henry smiled and leaned in to kiss her, for once feeling like the luckiest man alive.

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><p>.<p>

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Note: The feels... *snif* *hugs family*

Struuuggggllllleeeeed a lot here. Hope it's fine. Drop me a line if you will!


	7. Healing

**Seven years later**

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><p>It had been a lovely and warm spring day spent by the sea.<br>Jo looked at the sunset reflected on the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea and smiled. She loved New York, but after two years in this place, one might not even remember what was so special about the bustling city after all.

Children played on the sand along with their best friends; funny thing about kids, they make best friends instantaneously but will never learn their names. A thing or two grown-ups should learn from them.

Allison stood with her back to the ocean supervising the younger kids' work as they playfully buried one of their friends in the sand. She giggled with delight and Jo couldn't help but smile at her little girl. She looked a lot as a younger Jo but resembled Henry in her chubby dimpled cheeks and keen observational skills, much to her father's pride.

They had worried for years if their child would have any trace of her father's condition, but it seemed she didn't. At some point they did wish for it, when she became severely ill at the age of four and everyone feared the worse. She'd spend a great deal of time sleeping and the sight of their chirpy and talkative little ray of sunshine lying on a hospital bed with a needle into her fragile body was painful and heartbreaking.

Luckily, the meds she had been taking for several weeks finally started working as expected and she could leave the hospital within two weeks. Under loving care and at last at home, she quickly improved and in no time was back to school and playing on the streets of the charming Italian town her parents chose to live in.

In those dark eerie days they feared she hadn't inherited Henry's condition at all and they'd lose her. Once she got better, they both agreed not to expect anything in that matter, living their lives as normally was they could and not worrying too much about it. It had been quite liberating.

Allison suddenly stopped laughing and turned to the ocean, squinted eyes surveying the water for something. She found what she'd been looking for and quickly jumped in.

Jo jumped from her seat and ran towards the ocean.

"Allison! Come back!", she yelled and ran for the water, but before she could get in her daughter was already back to the shore, holding what resembled a dead animal.  
>She felt a chill running up her spine and shuddered in disgust.<p>

She was about to scold her daughter, when Allison turned to her.  
>The girl looked elated, and smiled, two adorable dimples and three missing front teeth adorning her innocent round face.<p>

"Mommy, look what I can do!"

Jo stood by her side, still tempted to scold her and take her away, but curious as to why she was the only one fretting while the children looked on, unfazed.

"Sit down and give me your hand."

Jo knelt down on the sand and did as she was asked. She felt lightheaded, and briefly thought she must have stayed under the sun for too long on little water. When she looked over at her daughter, she knew she was wrong.

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><p>Jo was sitting by the kitchen table by the time Henry got home.<p>

He looked quite spent, working two shifts in a row and leaving two hours later than expected. It was nearly ten when he arrived, to find his wife quietly waiting for him, her inscrutable face intriguing him.

She looked up at him wearily and smiled. "Sit."

He did as asked, putting his case and jacket on the closest chair. "Is there… anything wrong?"

She sighed and licked her lips as she thought about it, replaying the scene in her head. "I don't think so. I went to the beach with the kids today, and something… unusual happened."

"Unusual good?"

She nodded slowly, rather doubtful. "Unusual… good. Come.", she ushered as she stood and took his hand, leading him down the corridor. She halted midway and turned back at him, pressing her lips softly against his. "Welcome home", she said and smiled, resuming the short walk toward the bedroom.

Slowly she opened the door to reveal two kids playing with a pup. The dog ran in circles chasing its own tail and the kids laughed heartily.

"I thought we weren't getting them a dog until Christmas?", he whispered puzzled.

Jo nodded and turned to her daughter sitting on the floor.

"Ally, you wanna tell Daddy what happened?"

"We went to the beach today, Daddy, and me and my friends buried Miguel in the sand!"

Miguel, her five-year-old brother, smiled at the memory and nodded enthusiastically.

"And about Mr. Freckles?", Jo urged her on.

The dark-haired girl shrugged. "He called me and I helped him."

Henry frowned. "'Called you'. And you helped him how?"

"It's this thing I can do. He couldn't get out of the water so I helped him out and talked to him in my head until he felt better", she explained nonchalantly as she petted the animal's soft fur.

Their son nodded. "She does that sometimes. She talks to animals in her head and they live. The other day, she helped a pigeon at school after Mr. Kinley's class. My friends were sooo spooked when I told them!"

Their parents looked at each other for a moment. Henry seemed as spooked as he was sure their friends might have been, and Jo just pursed her lips.

"Alright, guys, time for bed. You've got school tomorrow. Say goodbye… to… Mr. Freckles.", urged Henry, bending down to pick up the little grey-and-white mutt.

The children whined a bit but quickly got up and into their beds.

"Momma, is he gonna be here in the morning?", asked Miguel.

"Yes, but we don't know if we can keep him yet. Daddy and I are going to talk about it.", she explained and kissed her son's forehead. She sat beside his lying figure and caressed his face. "You have sweet dreams, okay?"

The boy nodded and held up his arms to give her a long hug. "I'm going to dream with you, and daddy, and Mr Freckles and Allison. And Hannah, from the beach."

"Alright, sweetie. Hope it's a fun dream."

Jo repeated the nightly ritual with Allison and so did Henry. Soon they left the room and headed back to the kitchen.

"Was I the only one confused by Miguel's explanation?"

Jo offered Henry a large box and an explanation. "This dog was dead. I saw Allison pull it out of the ocean. She laid it on the sand, knelt down, closed her eyes and… I don't know what she did. I was holding her hand and I felt dizzy until she let me go. And it was the most amazing and probably weirdest thing I've ever seen. Our daughter saved that dog, Henry. This dog.", she said, pointing at the tiny animal nestled in a make-shift bed. "And not just that. She had her back turned to the water, there was no way she could have seen it there. Or heard it. But somehow she _knew_ it was there, and _exactly_ where it was!"

Jo reached for her bag and took out a pack of dog food. She quickly filled a small tin for him and offered the food to the new member of the family. He ate greedily, bringing a smile to Jo's face.

Henry raised his eyebrows. "And how did the children react?"

Jo shrugged. "Overall, they were amazed. What do we do, Henry?"

Henry sighed and plopped down on the closest chair, and Jo did the same. "I don't know yet. We have to come up with a plan." He paused, lips pursed.

Jo rubbed her forehead tiredly, trying to come up with a quick solution, and failing. She sighed heavily. "I'm dog tired.", she paused. "No pun intended. I just really need to rest and think it over. I don't know what to make of it."

Henry nodded, far-away eyes set on the patterned kitchen tile. "I don't know either. We must think it over." He looked up at Jo and smiled. "Tomorrow. What I do know for now…" he took her hands and stood, bringing her to her feet. His hands let go of hers and came to rest on her waist. "is that we seem to have a natural _healer_ in our family. A sweet little girl with a heart of gold, who took her time and energy to save a drowned pup. It's a wonderful gift that has to be handled with care so as not to attract unwanted attention. We will have to talk to her about it and watch her closely. I also know, that it won't go away overnight and we do not need to fret right now. Why not simply enjoy it for now? Hmm?", he softly questioned, resting his forehead against Jo's.

Jo nodded and sighed. Softly, she whispered. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize."

Henry let go of her waist and slowly slid his hands up her body and toward her face, gently cupping her cheeks and leaning in to kiss her. Jo smiled and kissed him back, pressing her body closer.

Moments later Henry pushed her away slightly so he could breathe, suddenly feeling too hot and trapped in too many clothes in such a warm night. He smiled coyly and played with the thin strap of her floral dress that had dropped to her arm.

Jo smiled mischievously and cocked her head, her wavy hair recently trimmed to just-beneath-her-ears long, enticingly exposing the fragrant skin of her neck and chest as she worked on his shirt. "Been daydreaming 'bout you."

"Really, now?" he asked, raising one eyebrow as his hand reached behind her to unzip her dress.

She hummed affirmatively and softly moaned as he plowed his nails softly down her back, giving her pleasant chills. She hissed and kissed him again, hungrily, skilled hands quickly removing the shirt off his shoulders and pushing him against the table.

A yelp called her attention and she suddenly broke the kiss. "Oh no, wait, wait, wait!"

Jo pushed Henry away from the table and grabbed the box. "You're too young to see this", she whispered to the dog and safely put away the box with plenty of food, a tin of water and the small towel that made it all the more comfortable. "Here. Good night, little guy.", she said and stood to turn off the light, immediately feeling Henry behind her, pressing his body against hers and dropping kisses on her neck. She breathed in sharply and gave him plenty of room to do whatever he wanted to her.

"Bed. Now.", he commanded huskily into her ear and left.

In less than thirty seconds the bedroom door was locked.

Tucked away in the darkness of the kitchen slept a little reminder that the lives of Henry, Jo, Allison and the young Miguel would be filled with blessings and its fair share of difficulties. There surely would be times they would have to run away time and again so that the immortal doctor can maintain his secret safe, so that the loving Allison will never have to face too much heartache due to her special ability and, who knows what the future holds for the little boy as well? In her heart, Jo was sure their lives would never be short of adventure.

But right now, none of it mattered.

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**The End.**

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><p>Notes: That's it! Hope you liked it. I'm sorry if it was too out of character, but I did my best ^^ If you read and liked this story, please leave a comment! Thank you!<p> 


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